‘Yes.’ Fabian nodded. ‘Dunja was, if I’m being honest, the only one who helped us out from your side; she was pivotal to solving that case a few years ago. Also, she saved my son’s life. So, yes, that’s correct.’

‘Good. I figured as much. And as I’m sure you understand, there’s a reason things turned out the way they did back then. But, hey, water under the bridge. I help you and you help me, and at this moment, I need her new address and phone number. Not a big deal. Just her address and phone number. Then I’ll let you be on your way.’ Sleizner chuckled again and resumed his hand-shaking.

‘I’m sorry.’

Sleizner stiffened. ‘Excuse me? I’m not sure I follow.’

‘I’m sorry, but I don’t have that information.’ Fabian pulled his hand out of Sleizner’s grasp. ‘So I’m afraid I can’t help you.’ He shrugged to underscore his words, but felt like it had the opposite effect to what he’d intended.

‘So you’re standing here, telling me that you haven’t heard from Dunja in the past month?’

Fabian thought about the cryptic email informing him of Theodor’s involvement with the Smiley Gang, and how it must have come from Dunja. But even though Sleizner had just helped him arrest Jacobsén, he was the last person in the world he would ever trust, so he decided to shake his head.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t even know she’d moved and changed her number.’

Sleizner stared Fabian right in the eye. ‘I don’t know why, but something tells me that can’t be right.’

‘I’m sorry, Kim, but it is. And I really do have to go.’

‘I’ll be properly cross if it turns out you’re lying to me. Especially after everything I’ve done for you.’

‘Hold on a minute. Are you accusing me of lying?’

‘Of course not. I’m not accusing anyone. I’m just saying I’d be very cross. And believe me. The last thing you want is to cross me.’

85

Somehow, everything seemed new and different when he pulled out the old marble icosahedron and warmed it in his hand. At first, he hadn’t been sure he was even worthy to take it out. It wasn’t at all a given, and the situation he was currently in had been impossible to foresee.

But as ever, he’d been able to ask one of his six-sided dice, and it had given him unambiguous permission to take out the twenty-sided one to see if there would be a new mission and if so, when.

He released the dice, letting it fall through the air and land on the green felt. But as though it were having a hard time deciding which of its many sides to land on, it kept rolling for an unusually long time.